Sedona, AZ, is known for its majestic red rocks, healing vortexes, and vibrant arts community; however, many don’t realize that there is also an impressive food scene. And when it comes to authentic Mexican and Southwestern cuisine, Elote Cafe is arguably the best in town. Voted one of the top 50 Mexican restaurants in the U.S., executive chef and owner Jeff Smedstad uses seasonal and locally grown ingredients to showcase the flavors of the Southwest.
Aesthetics and Vibe
The atmosphere of Elote transports you into a modern Mexican cantina. With rich colors evoking the surrounding red rocks and local textiles from Arizonan artists, the restaurant is warm and inviting. We arrived about 30 minutes early for our reservation and enjoyed sipping margaritas on the outdoor patio as we waited. It was a little chilly that evening, so our bartender provided us with some outdoor blankets and heating lamps. There is also a long indoor bar area as well that showcases Elote’s impressive alcohol selection. We finished our drinks just in time to be ushered to a warm leather booth in the back of the restaurant.
Food
The food at Elote lives up to its reputation. As we were reviewing the menu and ordering more drinks, we were treated to a bowl of fresh chips and salsa—with the salsa being one of the best we’ve had in a while. It was complex, full of flavor, and had a mild heat that gave it just the right amount of kick. After eating more than our share of chips, we ordered the restaurant’s namesake, elote, along with some guacamole. For those who haven’t had elote, it is a traditional Mexican dish with roasted corn, mayo, lime, and cotija cheese. This was probably one of the best preparations we’ve had which we particularly loved for its balance between sweetness from the corn, brightness from the lime, and richness from the spicy mayo.
For our main courses, we tried a few things including the fish tacos (which is technically an appetizer that is substantial enough for a main dish), chicken enchiladas, and lamb adobo. All were amazingly flavorful and unique. The beer battered sea bass fish tacos were crispy and really zinged from a tomatillo tartar sauce unlike anything we’ve tasted before. The chicken enchiladas were made even more special by a smoked chicken and chipotle crema—the smokey flavor really came through in every bite. However, by far the start of the night was the lamb adobo, which is also what Elote is most well known for. The dish was rustic and simple but didn’t disappoint on flavor. And the lamb was so tender it fell off the bone and melted in your mouth.
The beer battered sea bass fish tacos were crispy and really zinged from a tomatillo tartar sauce unlike anything we’ve tasted before.
The chicken enchiladas were made even more special by a smoked chicken and chipotle crema—the smokey flavor really came through in every bite.
However, by far the start of the night was the lamb adobo, which is also what Elote is most well known for. The dish was rustic and simple but didn’t disappoint on flavor. And the lamb was so tender it fell off the bone and melted in your mouth.
We ended the meal with Elote’s homemade vanilla ice cream and chocolate cookie. The ice cream wasn’t like any other vanilla we had tasted before thanks to the addition of agave—we couldn’t get enough of it!
Drinks
As you would expect, Elote offers of a wide selection of tequilas and margaritas. We tried a quite a few, including Jeff’s Margarita and the Roasted Pineapple Mezcal. Our favorite, though, was a special off-menu margarita they were offering that night mostly because it included a bit of agave nectar for sweetness, unlike many of the other margaritas on the menu.
Service
The service at Elote was impeccable. Our server was attentive, but not intrusive, and was able to answer all of our questions—particularly around the restaurant’s selection of tequilas. They had great recommendations on the food and keep the meal moving at a good pace. It was obvious that customer service is important to Elote and they wanted us to be a comfortable as possible during our stay.
Overall impressions
Elote Cafe is known as one of the best in Sedona for good reason. The food, drinks, and atmosphere made it one of the most memorable meals of our vacation. We would definitely recommend it for authentic yet elevated Mexican cuisine anytime you’re in the area. Just be sure to make reservations several weeks in advance–restaurant sells out quickly and wait times can exceed 2-3 hours!